Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

The 250th anniversary of U.S. independence was just months away when National Park Service employees received a directive from Washington. Maintenance projects approved this year at sites across the nation were being relegated to a new “low priority” list. Work wanted by the White House was taking precedence, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity and documents obtained by The Associated Press. That included the botched repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Many of the administration-backed projects have since advanced. The unnamed officials said almost all of about 1,500 maintenance and other projects on the low priority list as of last month are expected to go undone.